Indoor desert

The end of the First World War put an end to the exploitation of the Kolmannskuppe mines in the Namibia desert, which had been one of the most flourishing settlements in southern Africa for over two decades. During that time of splendor, the German settlers who administered the mines built peculiar homes reminiscent of their native Bavaria, as regards both their architectural form and decoration. The closure of the mines and departure of its inhabitants turned Kolmanskuppe into a ghost town engulfed by sand. The Indoor Desert series explores these houses abandoned in the desert, revealing the spell cast by their peaceful rooms.

Álvaro Sánchez-Montañés (Madrid, 1973). Lives and works in Barcelona, Spain, though he produces some of his projects in others parts of the world. Indoor desert, for example, was produced in Kolmannskuppe, Germany. A photographer, he qualified as an Aeronautical Engineer at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and is self-taught in artistic disciplines. His works have been exhibited in cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Seville, Mexico City, London and New York, and have received numerous prizes. They can be viewed at www.alvarosh.es